Showstopper
by BabochkaX
Summary: Franz receives an unexpected letter
1. Chapter 1

Franz,

'wo bist du?' Not bad huh? I've been practising. There's a girl here from your neck of the woods, I'm in England. It wasn't a short flight that's for sure but there were a few gals from the Pot jump with me and we passed the time. There's a huge protest against nuclear power- I mean come on people! How are human beings so stupid, it's gonna be the end of humanity if something goes even a teensy bit wrong. And don't even get me started on chemical weapons.

This ones pretty peaceful, just some handcuffing to the boundary of the plant. There's a bunch of us here- only women though. I've been to New York before and gosh it was colder but the rain here, the rain in Europe just sucks! How do you live with it all the time.

Despite the crap weather- and the fact I don't own a mac- I've had worse. There's food and umbrellas, and some cool stories going around. One of the girls she's been doing this shiz since the fifties- a grandmother and everything- but she knows we've got a job to do in this world. We should be the voices in this world, us, the people. But I mean you know that right? I've already given you that chunk of info enough times.

How's the Confectionary business going? Get much custom in December? I'm pretty sure you will giving people tend to buy candy and fatten up over the holidays. I suppose it's just holiday for you guys though- you don't have thanksgiving. I don't celebrate anyway, what's to celebrate about tricking the natives into feeding us and looking after the white men, when we only went and destroyed them and their music and culture and... horses.

I guess you guys still have Hannukah, cause you German's are half the reason the US has so many jews- kidding, I know it wasn't your fault really- I do read you know!

Thinking, once we get cleared from the sight again, I might use some of my Grandma's money and get a flight out to Hamburg. It's been a looong time. I don't exactly miss your Papa, but you- you're a good guy, better than most I've met.

Not sure when we will get chucked off, so send me your address, or the stores' address, I'll either find you or sleep in the doorway till you get your butt into work.

But that will do for now, Ciao- wait, no that's Italian, Gutentag? Not sure. This is me, signing off,

Regina xx.

She turned the letter over and over in her hands, trying to decide what to say to him, how to say it, if she said it at all. Grabbing the pen once more she stabbed the paper against her thigh and scribbled the information before stuffing it into the slightly see-through envelope. She could still see her words.

P.s. I'm pregnant.


	2. Chapter 2

GERMANY

The letter arrived on the doorstep of Mr Hertz Kleinman towards the end of December, two or three days before the year of 1984 dawned on them. He didn't recognise the handwriting at first but giving the letter was sent to his son and the address written in a vaguely feminine style he could presume it came from Regina. Yet the stamp was British- with their monarch's head proudly displayed on a red background.

"Franz!" he called up the stairs to the boy. He had been trying to find a home for his son for months now but rent wasn't easy to find even if you did own a confectionary store.

Several minutes later he heard the familiar creak of the first step and then a thunder of other footsteps to follow before Franz arrived on the landing, his hair floppy and wearing a blue dressing gown.

Hertz held out the letter and Franz took it, a look of utter excitement in his eyes. Franz tore open the envelope, pealing out the letter and scanning his eyes over every line of scrawled handwriting. He grinned, grinned wholly and happily until the last line came into sight. His smile dropped away instantly. His eyes widened to saucers and he gulped hard.

Hertz watched his son, staring at him with confusion until eventually Franz met his eyes once more.

"Papa, may I use the telephone?"

ENGLAND

"Someone amongst you lot called- this is ridiculous- called Vagina?"

"Its RE-gina, and that's me!"

The nuclear workers were pretty good guys, most of them didn't really have a view on the world of nuclear power and considered their work as exactly that, work. This guy- a newbie called John Finley- had been bringing the protestors food and warmth for the past while, he wasn't the brightest bulb but Regina had come to think of him as pretty sweet. He was just a kid, only sixteen.

"Oh, ugh, there's a guy at the gates, he looked like he would cry if I didn't come get you. Please go and see him, I don't want to deal with this." The kid had gone bright red, his cheeks stained by his embarrassment. Regina, already having a good idea who this person could be, agreed to release her handcuffs in order to go to the gates at the other end of their picket line of protestors. She was surprised, it wasn't like Franz to take any form of action on his own. Ever. But he seemed to have changed a lot since they met. He was beginning to think his own thoughts and take his own steps, something she had been doing since preschool. Trudging around the edges of the camp under the guard of John she took in the blur that came closer and closer and more and more clear. There was a figure with dark hair and a green coat standing at the manned gate to the plant.

The moment Franz caught sight of her, his eyes began to grin and she could tell he was struggling not to run over and take her in his arms. Regina smiled at the thought, he was a sweet kid- but he was that, a kid. As much as she had a huge amount of affection toward the boy she wasn't head over heels in the way he seemed to be.

Coming closer and closer to the gate the smiles on each face began to grow bigger, neither could help themselves, neither could avoid the joy upon seeing each other. Franz took the last few steps in a hurry, unable to hold off any longer. His skinny arms were warm and comforting and Regina felt herself breath properly for the first time. She felt safe, she knew she was finally in a place where she could talk.

Judgement from others was never a big deal for Regina, her mother had been a drunk and was always causing her embarrassment from the time she was old enough to understand that emotion had a name. This wasn't about what others thought as such, but it was about what others thought. She didn't want them to try and make her be a normal person. She had a life in fighting, she had a dream that the world could one day be the world of the people and she had no plan on letting the ideal die away. The other protestors- the other hippies- all would expect her to settle down and raise a normal and happy family. That wasn't who she was. Regina Kuntz was a fighter, she had always been a fighter and she wasn't about to stop for one person. Never had connections to a person stopped her before and they wouldn't stop her now.

Franz quickly withdrew from the embrace, holding Regina by the elbows as he surveyed her.

She was dressed in a gypsy skirt, a green one which wasn't quite covering her ankles. On her feet were a pair of sandles made up from leather strapping. His eyes worked up her body, almost scared of reaching her midriff.

He as right to be.

Although mostly hidden by her skirt and the flowing white blouse she wore above it her stomach stuck out hugely. Franz could see the shape of her swollen stomach under her clothes so easily he was surprised others hadn't noticed. Perhaps it was because others hadn't been looking for it, because others were too focused on the job at hand.

There was no doubt about it, Franz gulped, taking slow breathes to ease his shock, He was going to be a father.


	3. Chapter 3

As soon as she realised what was happening Regina snatched her arms out of Franz's grasp and folded her hands over the widest part of her bulging stomach.

"Franz! Not here." She hissed, taking him by the wrist and dragging him away from the gates.

Regina felt sick, very sick- and not morning sickness sick. She knew she had to hurt him, something a person as soft and gentle as Franz didn't deserve. She had seen the light in his eyes, seen his delight even though he was shocked beyond belief.

"Regina?" Franz questioned, pointing hesitantly in the direction of the hired car which sat just beyond the gates. She rolled her eyes, allowing him to take the lead.

Once they reached the little blue Polo Franz spent several minutes digging in his pocket for the keys, Regina stood and watched, looking on at the variety of expressions that past over his face in the time it took for the keys to come to the surface. He then struggled with the locks, twisting the key this way and that, pulling it in and out until finally- after much foot tapping on Regina's part- he managed to unlock the doors and slide into the driver's seat.

Regina didn't find entering the car quite as easy. She pressed a hand to her lower back, becoming aware of the pain she had suffered for the past few days as she tried to bend. It took her two attempts and a loud 'For fucks sake' to get herself into the low car seat.

Franz stared.

He gulped for a third time. Her stomach was even rounder than he had first realised, and the bulge sat low too- wasn't that usually a sign of late pregnancy? Regina glared at him, her eyes wide and jaw set with annoyance. Yet she was still beautiful, her skin smooth and pale with flushed cheeks and a blue sunset over the tops of each of her similarly coloured eyes.

"I, ugh, my Papa has found us somewhere to stay, until it is possible for the three of us to return to Germany- or to Los Angeles if you prefer. Do your family stay in Los Angeles? No, they don't you have told me that before. My Papa, he is not entirely pleased with the order of events but he understands and he will support us in our-,"

"Franz!" Regina felt herself getting agitated, the little car was surprisingly warm compared to the cold weather outside, her back was aching and the stress, oh it wasn't what she needed right now. This shit was too much, she shouldn't have contacted Franz, he was the only person she had but God was he irritating. Her right hand found its way onto her belly, rubbing small circles. It was comforting somehow; she'd never be alone again right? The little nugget was something she had never wanted but it had become a part of her life none-the-less.

Franz looked at her, his eyes full of honesty and worry combined. He was too good for this, one day he would make someone the perfect husband- but Regina had always believed love was love and if Franz could love someone like her then who was she to deny that.

"It will be ok," Franz spoke slowly, and carefully reached out to the hand that lay on Regina's stomach. To his surprise she took his hand, squeezed it and said in a low and emotional tone,

"Just Drive Franz."

They drove for what felt like hours. At first Regina slept, exhausted after the months of protesting and glad to have somewhere comfortable to lie. For a while she pretended to sleep, sat with her eyes closed and listened to Franz singing along to the radio. The back pain hadn't eased. She must've twisted something sleeping on the grass and dirt combo provided by the nuclear plant.

Regina dared open her eye a crack, watching Franz. Maybe Katie had been right- maybe it would've been better if Franz had been gay. Easier for everyone involved.

Eventually they drove into the parking lot of a B&B hotel, there was a grand Mercedes parked there already and Franz had to all but abandon the little Polo.

"Papa is already here," Franz stated, his face free of any emotion.

That was it. She had to tell him, dammit, why didn't he realise already. it had to be now, once Mr Kleinman knew it would all be a big mess, she didn't need any more of that crap right now.

"Shit, Franz, I've gotta ask tell you- did you even go to school?"

Franz looked confused, his eyebrows furrowing, "Of course Regina, the best that Papa, could get me in-."

"Well your math skills suck! Haven't you noticed yet, I didn't want to do this Franz but, ugh, Shit!"

Franz went to take her hand, but that was enough, enough kindness from Franz to the point she couldn't take it any longer. The information burst out of her mouth before she could grab her tongue and shove it back in.

"Franz, when I saw you- about six months ago? Look I didn't know, and I'm stupid that way. This, this is who I am, who I always will be. I believe in free love and that's the way it is."

"what does that mean?"

"I'm nearly nine months pregnant Franz, I don't know who the swimmer belonged to but they sure as hell weren't yours."


End file.
